Malek's house

It is old and in need of repair but in good shape considering.

She pointed to the old house. "This looks like a good fixer-upper" she smiled.

Malek smiled to her and grabbed his stuff he had carried along.
"Thank you, Mika." He said, bowing politely. He opened the door and saw how much work needed to be done.
"Well, I should get on it right away so that no snow caves in during winter." He chuckled, setting his stuff down and grabbing an old shirt from his bag and began dusting the place.

"Your welcome" Mika smiled "Well I better leave you to get settled in" she smiled and bowed her head slightly as she turned and walked back out. "If you ever have any questions or need help just ask" she called back. She looked up at the sky. She saw tiny snowflakes starting to fall. "Snow!?" She went to the horse pastures to find Koda. She wanted to go to the edge of the forest and make sure Vandecar was ok. The clouds looked darker over in that direction.


---------------M&F Pastures---------->

"Thanks. I will." He grinned and turned back to his house cleaning.
Once she was gone, he began sweeping away some of the spider webs with a broom he found in an old closet.
"Wow this place has been untouched since...." He trailed off as a snowflake landed on his nose. He looked up and saw a nice large hole in the roof.
"Better go fix that now." He said, dropping the broom and heading outside.
Once out, he spotted some old boards and grabbed them. He climbed onto the roof, a bag he had full of nails and a hammer, and began fixing the roof, nailing up boards. He pulled a brown cloak over his shoulders and shivered.
"Better hurry up and get this finished." He mumbled.

Malek slid off the roof and pulled his cloak tighter around him.
"Let's go to the trading post and get some more nails hopefully." He told Toboe.

--------trading post

--Jarlons grave

Malek led Rhea inside his house, helping her into a chair. He started a small fire in his small fire place and pulled up a chair in front of her.
"Now you can talk to me about anything." He told her, kindness in his voice.

Rhea looked at Malek for a second and sighed, she was still shaken and everything was still too loud but she for some reason could drown it out now, Rhea looked over to the fire place and tried to create something happy out of the flames as she controlled them but everything she made was related to Jarlon is some way.
"I shouldn't have gotten so attached to him...He wasn't interested in me," Rhea muttered as she stared at nothing in particular.
"And the last time I freaking saw him he was upset...because of me, And everytime I think of him right now thats the way I remember him...upset," Rhea swored again and balled her hand up again, "I used to think my smile was infectious but when I see the guy Im so utterly crazy about in my mind everyday upset..." Rhea drifted off and cried again, "I liked him so much it could have been love," Rhea whispered, "But he never showed the slightest bit of interest in me."

Malek reached forward and unballed her fist.
"I know. I am very sorry. Here is a way I remember my fiance in good ways. I think about the great times we had together when we were children and when I see her in my mind, I see her smiling face. It helps for me and I hope it helps for you." He sighed a little and looked at the fire for a second, and then back at Rhea's face, forgetting he was holding her hand.
"I have been here more then a week now and have seen you around people. You are kind, caring, always smiling, and always making someone happy. I saw that spark in your eyes that made everyone see you as their bestfriend. I even talked with some people and they won't stop talking about you!" He chuckled.
"And I forgot to say you are very beautiful. You are not infectious. You are a very good influence to these people. I bet when some came here, they were sader then a dog, but when they met you, the hoped they would see you everyday." He grinned at her and patted her hand.
"I want you to remember that. And that is how you should remember him. As someone who loved you. He loved everyone here from what I heard. Every on of us. As if we were his brothers and sisters." He smiled at her, hoping she would understand.

Rhea took a deep breath and then nodded, "Thank you," Rhea said, taking another deep breath but the tears still came from her eyes, "But I cant help but feel confused... I've trusted 3 people in my life...fully trusted... and they all die...Surely that means something!"

"Your welcome." Then he shook his head.
"It doesn't mean a thing. You are not a poisin to them." He pulled his chair forward more and took her other hand.
"It isn't you at all." He looked down for a second and then back into her eyes.
"I care about you. A whole lot. I don't want to see you putting yourself down because of someone dying." He said carefully.

"Not just someone," Rhea said, "Someone special and Everyone I care about, doesn't it make sense to not get close to people anymore incase the same fate should befall them?"

Malek bit his lip but then he relaxed and looked at her.
"It doesn't mean anything at all. You're not the cause of this, Rhea. Stop saying you are. What if I was the cause of this? What is Danielle was? What if Tyler was? Everyone can be the cause of something. You were not." He looked her straight in the eyes.
"Don't think of yourself as something bad. You are someone wonderful, beautiful, smart, and...I think I covered everything."
He chuckled and scooted his chair closer, touching her knees with his.
"Stop thinking you killed them. You didn't. They just had bad luck. Not you."

Rhea smiled weakly as Malek moved his chair closer again until their knees touched, Rhea stood up slowly,
"I need to be alone, I'm going for a walk..." Rhea said emotionlessly and then walked for the door.

-------------> Outside

Malek watched as she left. He sighed and stood, walking to the window. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the fields.
"I know now isn't the right time...." He told himself, watching her go.
"I feel bad that Ronan and I like the same girl. But she needs someone. And I seem to be the one there for her now...." He sighed and walked over to the fireplace and sat down on the ground, laying next to Toboe.

------------rhea's house

Malek and Rhea came up to his house, Toboe and Zaric right behind them.
"See? Just a small spot that can easily be patched up." He smiled, pointing to the spot.

Rhea nodded, "Oh ya, I see it,"
Rhea said and walked closer to the house holding the left over boards, nails and hammers. and waited as Malek leaned a ladder up against the roof and began to climb, Rhea handed sluff up of him and then climbed up too.

"Thanks, Rhea." He said through grunts, lifting to boards onto the roof. He grabbed the hammers and nails.
"Come on, I'll help you up." He said, offering a hand.

Rhea took his hand and he helped her up and then they sat next to each other near the spot that needed patching up. They started to work away together and Rhea smiled.

He nailed some boards down and looked over at Rhea.
"Now what are you smilin' 'bout?" He teased her.

Rhea laughed,
"I dunno," Rhea said, "I'm just...happy,"
Rhea laughed and continued to work.

He laughed at her.
"About.....?" He asked curiously, nailing down his third board.

Rhea laughed,
"I dunno," Rhea smiled again, "Guess it's just been a good day so far,"

He laughed and set down his hammer, smiling.
"Well, look at that. One more board and we're done!" He grinned.

Rhea went ahead and did the last board, and smiled the sun coming out from behind some clouds and the sky was a briliant blue,
"See...A good day," Rhea smiled and began to climb down the ladder.